


Accept No Substitutes

by seki



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 20:44:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11676741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seki/pseuds/seki
Summary: No imitation can live up to reality. But it might be pretty damned good, nonetheless.For Ignoct Week 2017, Day 3 Prompt - Simple: Sleep





	Accept No Substitutes

"Happy birthday, buddy."

Noctis stares at the bulky package in Prompto's arms. It looks… squishy. "Did you buy me a cushion?"

"Haha, kinda. This is one half of your present."

The thing is plastic-wrapped, and as Noctis opens it he realises that it's a very long cushion. Something like a cross between a bolster and a pillow. "Um. Thanks?"

"And _this_ is the rest of it."

That package is smaller, squarer, wrapped in brown paper. Noctis shakes it, gently -- no rattle, nothing to indicate what might be inside -- and then rips open the paper. What's inside is another plastic-wrapped item, this one apparently black fabric. "Uh."

"Open it properly. C'mon. I'm dying to see what you think."

Noctis does as he's told, and shakes out the fabric inside, and immediately realises what Prompto's got him. "Dude. No."

"Come on, it's _amazing_."

"I am _not_ keeping this. Where did you even buy it?"

"The man has talented fans. It goes on the pillow. You can snuggle it at night." Prompto waggles his eyebrows. "You know you wanna."

Noctis eyes the… thing again. It's a good resemblance. "I can't believe this exists."

"Well, it does." Prompto pulls the cover out of Noctis's grip, and starts stuffing the pillow into it with suspiciously well-practised speed. "I _also_ got you a gold giftbox in King's Knight. Should let you upgrade your barriers, finally."

"Shit, really?"

"I'm the best friend ever, admit it." Prompto holds out the pillow to Noctis. "Happy birthday, Noct."

"...thanks. You're the best."

\--

It's a really _comfortable_ pillow. The cover is silky to the touch, and the pillow itself is squishy, and Noctis sleeps really well when he cuddles it at night. He gets used to having it in bed with him. It's just… nice.

Which means that a few weeks later when Ignis -- having, to his credit, knocked a few times first -- opens up Noctis's bedroom door and catches Noctis sprawled out sleepily across the pillow, Noctis really only has himself to blame.

"Noct, you're late for--what on _earth_ is that?"

"Um." Noctis sits up, and then wishes he hadn't, because that means Ignis gets a very clear view of the picture on the case. "Prompto got it for me."

Ignis looks the most startled and unsettled Noctis has ever seen.

"As a gag gift," Noctis adds. "A joke. It's a good pillow, though, um. Supposed to help with back problems. So I use it, and it really is good for my back, I think. And the cover feels nice."

"I… see."

Brazen it out, Noctis thinks. "Look, I know it's weird. But it was a gift, and it's actually useful, so, um. I use it."

Ignis blinks, and then nudges his glasses. "Is that so."

"Apparently there's a lot of fans of members of the Crownsguard. Prompto could have got me a Cor one, or a Clarus one, or, um, I dunno, other people too."

"And yet he picked my face to prank you with." Ignis holds out a hand. "May I see it?"

Noctis meekly hands the thing over.

"That _is_ rather fine fabric." Ignis holds the pillow in both hands, at arm's length. 

"Only the best for Ignis Scientia, I guess."

"Alas, I regret to say I do not have that definition in my abdominal muscles. Even Gladio would be envious of that stomach."

"Take it up with the artist, not me."

"Am I supposed to be lying in bed? Why am I still wearing my glasses and gloves?" Ignis squints downwards. "I am shoeless, sockless, my trousers are unfastened. Glasses seem odd."

"Maybe they think your glasses are hot," Noctis suggests. _He_ thinks Ignis's glasses are hot, after all. Probably other people do too.

"Hm." Ignis tosses the pillow back onto the bed. "Well. You are now even later than you were for your meeting at the Citadel. Come on, hurry up."

\--

Two days later, and Ignis is in Noctis's bedroom again.

"Mm? Oh god, sorry, I overslept again."

"Apparently so." Ignis tugs at the corner of the duvet. "Perhaps my company is too restful, hm?"

Noctis unclamps himself from around the bodypillow. "I sleep better with it than without it, alright."

"Too well." Ignis sighs, which is a lot better than the smirk Noctis had kept seeing on his face two days before. "Is it truly that comfortable?"

"Yup."

"...move over."

Noctis struggles to sit up. "Huh?"

"Move. Over."

Noctis does, pulling the bodypillow with him, and Ignis sits down on the side of the bed. And then he swings his legs up onto the bed, shoes and all, on top of the duvet, and leans back against the headboard. Noctis stares down at Ignis's feet, then at Ignis's face. "What…"

"Come here, then." Ignis stretches his arm out across Noctis's pillow.

"Huh?"

Ignis uses his other arm, and gestures at the bodypillow between them. "A prince accepts no substitutes. Though I'm afraid I'm not going to unfasten my clothing."

"Uh. No. That's fine." Noctis shifts a little further back, against the wall. "You're not a pillow."

Ignis raises an eyebrow. "I'm offering to be."

Noctis wonders for a moment if he's dreaming this. If he is then he could just--but then the little hint of a smirk at the corner of Ignis's lips makes him aware: no, this is definitely reality, and this is Ignis teasing him. "Oh, shut up."

"Suit yourself." And then Ignis swings his legs off, gets up. He holds out a hand towards Noctis. "Up, then, my Prince. Time to face the world."

\--

It's Thursday. Thursday night means Ignis comes over, pretends to be teaching Noctis how to cook while in fact just cooking them both something to eat, and scolds Noctis gently for the state of his apartment.

It's not _unclean_. It's just not very tidy, is all. And Ignis likes to tell Noctis how he _should_ make it tidier. That another set of shelves would help him accommodate the comics and books that Noctis leaves piled up near the sofa and near the bed. That if he closed the windows when he went out then the wind wouldn't blow papers off the table. That if he scrubbed the soda spills up as soon as they happened, they wouldn't dry into sticky patches that took more effort to remove when Noctis _did_ get around to cleaning. 

Noctis doesn't mind. Ignis wouldn't be Ignis if he didn't make those suggestions. He _has_ to tell Noctis to keep the place tidy, it's practically written into the job description. Besides, if Ignis really thought the place was that bad then he wouldn't visit every week.

In a bid to truly _own_ the fact that he sleeps with a body-pillow that has been printed with an artistic rendition of Ignis, Noctis brings it out of the bedroom. After a moment's thought, he sets it up so it looks like it's sitting on the sofa next to Noctis, a tray on the 'lap' that holds an Ebony can and the remote control.

"Ignis," Noctis says, as Ignis enters the room. "Give me the controller, would you?"

There's a pause.

"Never mind," Noctis says, reaching over and picking it up himself. "Geez, you're nice like this. Pliant. Let's see what's on the _grown-up_ channels, huh."

"Pssht." Ignis leans over the back of the sofa and plucks it out of his hand. "Let's not have you pick something that the King would disapprove of, now."

"Aw, I prefer quiet Ignis. _He'd_ let me watch anything I wanted."

"I see he has excellent taste in beverages, at least." Ignis takes the Ebony can. "Do you think I can displace my duplicate?"

"That depends. Are you packing dinner over there?"

"All the ingredients for a fine repast. Steak. Potato. Carrots. That is, unless my seat is vacant by the time I'm done, in which case I could be persuaded to swap carrot for something more to your taste."

Noctis laughs, and gets up so he can relocate the pillow to his bedroom. He tucks it into his bed for later. When he comes out again, Ignis is already beginning to cook dinner, his dark blue apron tied over his Crownguard fatigues.

"I've substituted a mix of greens and peas for the carrots."

"Still wayyy too healthy, you know that, right?"

"Noctis, you have to eat _some_ vitamins every week. If you develop scurvy, I _will_ be interrogated about why I let it happen."

Noctis pouts. "I have _pills_ for those. I take them. Every day. Or, uh. Every day I remember."

"A half-measure, then. For the fibre. Choke them down, please, for me."

"Fine. But pillow Ignis wouldn't make me eat vegetables."

"Pillow Ignis also can't teach you to cook."

"...damn. That's a pretty fatal flaw."

"Chop the greens for me, then. And put some water in a pan for the potatoes."

Noctis does as he's told. Ignis makes Noctis prep and cook the steaks, and it's super easy. It's also _fast_. It takes barely any time before Ignis is draining the potatoes and vegetables and watching Noctis carefully transfer the cooked steaks onto the plates.

There's garlic butter, and a peppery grey sauce, and Noctis wolfs down the whole plate in a few minutes, including the vegetables.

"Did you even taste that?" Ignis shakes his head, but he's almost done with his own food too so Noctis just grins. "I should have doubled the peas."

Noctis just sticks his tongue out.

"I had a question for you," Ignis continues. "Though it's personal. So you can simply say you don't wish to answer."

"Er, okay."

"Are you currently seeing anyone?"

Oh. Wow. Ignis has literally never asked about Noctis's love life. "No?"

"Ah."

"Why?"

"Perhaps you should be. I mean, since you're lonely enough to be snuggling a fake person at night."

Noctis snorts. "It's just cosy, alright. Makes the bed comfier."

"I was going to suggest -- well. Perhaps not."

Oh, my god. Is Ignis going to give him dating advice? Noctis stares. "Suggest _what?_ "

"No, never mind." Ignis gets up, and stacks his plate on Noctis's. "Go on. Sofa. I'll wash up."

There's a vaguely romantic fantasy TV series Noctis has been indulging in lately. Ignis good-naturedly listens to Noctis's unhelpful 'this happened, then she did that, then--' explanation of the backstory as the episode starts up.

It's a fun episode, though Noctis doesn't pay it as much attention as he should. Ignis is sitting a little closer than normal, and Noctis can smell his cologne -- fresh, citrusy, and one Noctis couldn't find in a department store when he'd thought to buy a bottle as a gift one birthday -- and see the tiny patch of stubble on Ignis's throat where he must have been in a rush to shave that morning. Moments like this are the ones Noctis treasures, where he can almost convince himself that Ignis is his _boyfriend_ , that when the episode ends Ignis will lean over and kiss him fondly on the cheek before going to make them both coffee.

The episode ends, and Ignis goes to make them both coffee. Noctis sighs, quietly, to himself. But it's good coffee, as always, and once he's drunk it Ignis gets his things together.

"Well," he says, winding his scarf around his neck in the entranceway, "I will see you tomorrow."

"Yup."

Ignis seems to hesitate for a moment, his coat still unbuttoned, and then he's in Noctis's personal space. His hands grasp Noctis's shirt, and when Noctis makes a startled noise it's smothered by Ignis's mouth on his.

 _Oh_.

Noctis's head goes all fuzzy and hot and empty, because Ignis is kissing him, a sweet open-mouthed kiss that's _way_ better than the two times Noctis has been kissed before. Ignis's glasses dig into Noctis's cheek, and Ignis's chin is a bit scratchy, but it's _incredible_ , even better than all the hundreds of times Noctis has imagined Ignis kissing him.

And then it ends.

"Um." Ignis looks slightly embarrassed, but mostly pleased. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Noctis has no words. He nods, and forces his fingers to let go of Ignis's coat.

"We could go for a walk, after you're done at the Citadel?"

A date? "Yes. Please."

Ignis bends his head down again, and now it's a second kiss, gentler even than the first one, full of _affection_ , and Ignis's hands go to Noctis's waist and pull him in close. When they stop, Ignis lifts a hand to touch Noctis's cheek. "Right. Tomorrow."

Noctis, feeling bold, cranes his neck and presses another little kiss to Ignis's mouth. "Okay."

It takes another six kisses for Ignis to leave -- and it's obvious that it's reluctantly -- and as soon as the door is closed Noctis slumps against it. Holy _crap_. Ignis just kissed him, and now… they're a thing, Noctis guesses. Boyfriends? Or is this too early for that?

And… why now?

Noctis decides he can find out another time. It feels like he's walking on air, as he goes into his bedroom. A date. A _date_.

Pillow Ignis can't possibly live up to that.

\--

Noctis has a full day of things at the Citadel -- meetings, planning sessions, reviews of current events -- and on a normal day he can take this all in his stride. He's the Prince. This is his job. Today, however, his brain is full of _Ignis_ and his distraction is probably totally obvious. Cor sighs, and tells Noctis he'll send over emails of the meeting conclusions, and Noctis's Dad asks aloud why his son is woolgathering at lunch, but… it's a big deal to Noctis. Ignis kissed him. And there's going to be a date, after work.

Ignis drops by Noctis's office in the Citadel, just as Clarus is leaving.

"Ready?"

" _So_ ready."

It's cold outside, and Noctis's jacket isn't quite thick enough to block out the wind. Maybe a walk isn't the best idea, Noctis thinks, as he follows Ignis down the back paths that lead out in the Citadel gardens.

And then, at the entrance of the gardens, Ignis reaches out and takes hold of Noctis's hand.

Maybe it's because he's blushing from head to foot now, but the wind doesn't seem half as cold as it did a few moments ago.

They walk, hand-in-hand, in silence, in the direction of the rose gardens. This part of the Citadel's formal gardens have high hedges and close-cropped grassy paths that crackle under their feet. The sky is a dour, unfriendly grey that hints at rain to come, and the harshness of the light makes the stern lines of this part of the gardens seem almost foreboding.

So when they step out into the walled area that houses the rose gardens, it's like a weight lifts. The rose gardens are colourful still -- the roses are out of season, but the other plants here are blossoming in a messy tumble of bright blooms and feathery stems. It's a riot of wild-looking prettiness, and even in the grey light it seems warm and welcoming.

"I like this place," Ignis says, softly. "I always thought I'd bring you here, if, well."

"Yeah?"

"I didn't quite think it would ever happen."

Noctis squeezes Ignis's hand. "Why not?"

"I had rather thought you regarded me as, well. A brother."

"...wow, okay, yeah. No."

"Yes, that you seemed willing to sleep with an imitation of me did make me rethink that."

"Oh my god."

"Actually, that Prompto thought it would be the most apt choice was more of a hint, I suppose. But either way, it made me rather wish to be that pillow."

Noctis stares out over the garden. Ignis's hand is warm and solid in his. "Play your cards right," he says, and grins over at Ignis, "and maybe one day I'll let you take its place."

Ignis raises an eyebrow, his mouth twitching with that little smirk again. "One day."

"Hey, I'm not a first-date sort of guy, you know."

"I see. Well. Here's to one day, then."

They kiss, here in the bright surroundings and cool air of the rose garden, and Ignis's hands are _freezing_ as they slide up under Noctis's clothes. He doesn't care. But maybe the second date can be inside somewhere private, and maybe he'll be able to cuddle up to Ignis as if he were a pillow. Maybe he'll even fall asleep on him.

Either way, he's gonna have to buy Prompto one hell of a gift to thank him for this.

**Author's Note:**

> (Written very quickly, please forgive any glaring errors!)
> 
> I love my Ignis bodypillow very very much. It is not like the one described here because I have no criticisms of mine. <3


End file.
